Changed Lives

“I never really had a mom who was there for me,” Jessica reflects. She experienced a lot of trauma growing up with a single mom who had three jobs. “I sometimes wondered if she worked so much because she didn’t want to be home.” 

At one point, she became a ward of the state. This combined with the mental health struggles of her family took a toll on Jessica as a child.

“My teenage years were not any better. I had no help growing up, and was taken advantage of my whole life, even by my family,” she shares. At 17, she turned to substances to cope with that feeling of neglect, admitting, “Bad attention is better than no attention.”

At her lowest point, Jessica’s choices landed her in prison… and she lost custody of her children. After she was released, Jessica felt determined to change her life around and she came to the Mission where she was warmly welcomed. “I was very happy,” she recalls.

She is grateful to the Mission for giving her stable housing so she can get her kids back. “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she says.

“Since coming to the Mission, I am very hopeful for housing, getting my girls back and starting a new life.”

Crossroads has provided Jessica with the support she never had. “I’ve always had to do everything by myself. The support system here is phenomenal. Any resources I need, day-to-day interactions, are great,” she says. “It’s more than I could ask for.”

Beyond the services to help her get back on track, Jessica is grateful to have people she can talk to and count on. “Crossroads is like a family. It’s a whole different experience being here. It’s great and I’m very thankful for it.”

Thank you for your love and support of neighbors like Jessica. Your kindness has reminded her that she is not alone and that a better life is possible! “I’m thankful to the Mission for showing me that there are good people out there, showing me my self-worth, helping me with housing and for being there for me.”

Like all caring parents, Rayza and Yordin simply wanted a safe place to raise their children. When hard times struck, uncertainty took over their day-to-day lives.

Thankfully, the Lord led them to Crossroads Mission Avenue, where they received food assistance, clean clothes and basic necessities for their home. “All our needs were met, and everyone was so welcoming,” Yordin shares with a smile.

Rayza now works in our Mission Avenue Thrift Store and finds joy in helping others. “I love giving back,” she beams.

Grateful for Crossroads’ life-changing impact, the family is enjoying renewed hope for the future!

Markys can trace the root of his struggles back to childhood. He suffered abuse from a family member he thought he could trust… and he was never the same again. Growing up, Markys gravitated to the wrong crowd. “It was just constant drinking and drug use. I started doing the same thing… I wanted to escape my painful memories,” he shares.

As an adult, Markys couldn’t shake the feelings of anger and sadness. “When I looked in the mirror, all I saw was ‘bad,’” he remembers. Between addiction and his temper, he struggled to build relationships and establish a stable home life. One night, an alcohol-fueled argument with his roommates landed him behind bars.

His stint in jail turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Markys was visited by a kind missionary who encouraged him to learn about the Lord. “I was ready to change, so I started going to church. That’s when I accepted Christ into my heart.”

Upon his release, Markys had nowhere to go. He lived in an abandoned trailer for a while. Thankfully, he remembered the missionary telling him about Crossroads Mission Avenue, so he came to us for help.

“By learning to pray again, I discovered the good that lives inside me.”

As soon as Markys arrived at the Mission, he was warmly welcomed by the staff and other guests. Through our 4-Phase Recovery Program, Markys found and maintained his sobriety, developed life and job skills, and was able to practice what he’d gained by working and giving back. “Crossroads was really there for me,” he says.

Our Christ-centered setting played a critical role in supporting Markys’ recovery. Here, he was able to deepen his relationship with the Lord and draw strength from the community around him. He’s made lasting friendships with people he can trust.

Now, Markys is experiencing God’s gift of new life! Thank you for empowering him to follow Christ’s calling in his life. “The Mission has inspired me to help those who are still struggling. I’m grateful they’ve shown me the way!”

Sean says he’s truly grateful for those who support for Crossroads Mission Avenue — because if the Mission wasn’t here, he had only two paths left open to him: prison or the graveyard.

“I had everything going for me, but I made a lot of poor life choices,” he says. “After I left college, I wanted quick, fast money, so I started selling drugs. I could have done something good with my life, but I chose the road to addiction.”

Today, at 51, Sean has 10 drug-related felonies in his past and a lot of prison time. Three years ago, after his last stint, he was given the chance to come to Crossroads as part of his probation agreement. He left early, however, and relapsed. He finally realized that something had to change.

“I believe if you really have the will to change, and you come to Crossroads, God will give you the courage and strength to do that,” Sean says. “That’s what happened for me. I’ve grown in my spirituality and I’ve been clean for over a year now. I feel like a normal person again. If you just put in the time and the effort, good things happen.”

Thanks to support and guidance from Crossroads — and our donors — Sean is following a new path. He’s now in college studying to be a drug and alcohol counselor. “Being able to give back like that, helping people like me, would be worth more than any paycheck,” he says.

He encourages donors to continue giving to the Mission, because “your support could save someone’s life who really wants to be a productive citizen again.”

YOUR support for people like Sean changes more than a life. YOU change an entire community.

Derrick had an abusive childhood filled with drugs and violence. He too developed an addiction that led him to drop out of school in the 9th grade. Unable to keep a job, he spent much of his adult life homeless.

Derrick’s favorite place on the streets was where a heat vent poured out warm air. But one January night, temperatures dropped so low he didn’t think he could survive. He came to Crossroads Mission Avenue for a warm shower and a safe place to sleep. However, shortly after arriving, Derrick was diagnosed with throat cancer. His health began to decline dramatically.

Crossroad’s staff cared for Derrick faithfully as his cancer and treatments took their toll. He was unable to read or write when he arrived, but we celebrated with him when he learned to write his name. It was one of his proudest moments.

When it became clear he didn’t have much time left, our case manager sat down with Derrick to talk about his relationship with God. Derrick shared that he had received Jesus as his savior. They listened to worship music together, and tears rolled down Derrick’s cheeks in gratitude for our concern for him.

Not long after our conversation about faith, Derrick passed away peacefully in his sleep. What could have been a sad day, was not – because we know Derrick is with the Lord. He endured a hard life on the streets, but God prepared a place for him in heaven – where there is no more suffering, no pain, no poverty and no loneliness. Now, Derrick is no longer homeless. He is home.

At Crossroads, Derrick found a place to belong, and people who loved him. He didn’t suffer and die alone – because friends like you cared enough to give. But the truth is that Derrick ministered to us just as much as we did to him. He showed us how to endure sickness and approach the end of life with grace and a smile on his face.

This Christmas, we celebrate Derrick’s life and journey home to heaven – because YOU believed in the promise of God’s unending love. Thank you for your gifts to give hope to people like Derrick… to support the spread of the Gospel… to stand alongside people in their darkest days, when they can no longer stand alone.

You gave Sherry help, hope and renewed faith.

Personal loss could have brought Sherry’s story to a tragic end. And it almost did.

When Sherry’s husband passed away from heart failure after 25 years of marriage, it was a devastating blow. For two years, she couldn’t even confront the loss. When the terrible pain finally did set in, it sent Sherry spiraling into depression.

She started drinking heavily to cope, and it cost her dearly. “I lost my job, then I lost my apartment, and then I just lost everything,” Sherry says.

Sherry’s journey could have concluded there, but it didn’t. Like an answer to prayer, Sherry discovered Crossroads Mission Avenue, where — thanks to friends like you — she found her faith again.

“I was on some kind of suicide mission, tired of everything,” Sherry says of her life before the Mission. “But somewhere along the way, Jesus helped me realize that even though my situation isn’t the best, I still have him. And being here, I feel safe.”

That’s the power of your generosity! You take neighbors like Sherry by the hand and show them they don’t have to lose hope. You remind them that new beginnings are possible.

If it weren’t for Crossroads, Sherry says, “I would’ve probably drank myself to death by now. I’m pretty sure of it. This place is a godsend. They saved my life.”

Your continued support of Crossroads Mission Avenue is nothing short of lifesaving for many more neighbors just like Sherry. Thank you for giving them help and hope.

Clay has struggled with alcohol at every stage of his life since he was just 12.

As a young man, Clay served in the military — first in the Navy, then as a Marine paratrooper in Desert Storm. But sadly, his time in active war zones gave Clay PTSD. Even though he doesn’t talk about his service much, he still has nightmares about what he went through.

After returning to civilian life, Clay took a steady job working for his father’s company, got married and had three kids. Life seemed stable and happy for a time. But sadly, it didn’t last. Clay’s difficulties with drinking continued off and on. And when the family fell on hard times, it got even worse. After 17 years of marriage, he and his wife divorced.

By the time Clay arrived at Crossroads and discovered the kindness of friends like you, he was searching for a better road to follow. “Crossroads helped me get the avenues I needed,” he says, “because where I was in my life, I could not.

“I’m going to continue contributing to this place and their mission because they are awesome,” he continues. “They learn what our needs are and try to help us. If it weren’t for Crossroads, I might be dead.

“I think that they are angels sent from God, and I don’t know what I would do without them.”

We don’t know what WE would do without friends like YOU! Thank you for making it possible for more of your neighbors like Clay to find the help they need!

Life hasn’t been easy for Jenny.

First, her father died of cancer when she was pregnant. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she and her husband split up … leaving Jenny to parent solo. After she and her son moved in with her ailing mother, Jenny “took over fixing things around the house like my dad used to do,” she says. “I was also a nurse, so I helped my mom with her health issues.”

But Jenny had health problems of her own. And due to her degenerative discs and rheumatoid arthritis, “I ended up having a bad fall and dislocating my right kneecap severely,” she remembers. “I was in a leg cast for four months.”

Things only got worse from there. “One week after that injury, my mom was in the hospital. She had heart failure on top of her other health issues. I ended up taking care of her full time until she passed away.”

Even after downsizing, the medical bills wiped Jenny out so she couldn’t even pay rent. Her son moved in with his dad, but Jenny had nowhere to go — until she found Crossroads and your kindness.

Here, Jenny found warmth and acceptance and rediscovered her love of cooking that she’d learned from her dad! “He always wanted to bottle his barbecue sauce recipe,” she says. “I’m going to call it, My Dad and Me Gourmet Barbecue Sauce.”

Jenny knows without your support of Crossroads, “I could have ended up on the street. I didn’t have anybody else to turn to.”

Your kind support helps neighbors like Jenny discover a new zest for life and the sweet taste of success!

Nicole remembers the day she and her four children became homeless very well.

Overnight, they went from having a comfortable home to being on the streets, not knowing what to do next. Nicole had heard about Crossroads and decided to see if they could provide help.

There, they received the support they needed to get through that difficult period and emerge on the other side ready for a fresh start. Nicole worked overnights as a nurse’s assistant at the time, which meant taking the children to school and child care during the day. The staff at Crossroads worked with her to ensure this process was smooth and easy.

Also, coming to the Mission meant leaving behind a dangerous neighborhood. “My kids would find drug needles,” she remembers. “It just wasn’t safe for my children to even go outside and play.”

At Crossroads, she and her children got rooms to themselves where they could live and recover together. While here, Nicole also helped with cooking meals from time to time, which she greatly enjoyed. She fondly remembers one night when she put together a special meal. “It was Mexican food … I remember cooking a big meal for everybody and everybody loved it, so that was a plus!”

Because you care, neighbors like Nicole and her family are able to receive the help they need at Crossroads!

Justin has always been searching for purpose in his life. Finally, after coming to Crossroads Mission Avenue, he found it.

Growing up in Columbus, he got in trouble a lot, using drugs, and making reckless decisions. Ultimately, it landed him in prison. While there, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Upon release, Justin returned to a life of drugs and homelessness — but deep down, he knew something had changed. After he had a pulmonary episode, the hospital sent him to Crossroads to recover and get clean. He learned he had experienced heart failure. Since, he has gotten sober, begun attending worship and focusing on his relationship with God, all with the help of the Mission.

Because of the heart failure, Justin was told he didn’t have much time to live. Nevertheless, he decided to embrace his purpose: to spend time with loved ones and trust in the Lord to show him the way.

“Crossroads was not just accommodating of me staying there with my limited ability to do things, but also with the emotional stuff that I was going through with that diagnosis,” Justin says. “My diagnosis is terminal. But it reminded me that I had to trust God and know that’s part of his plan.”

Thanks to you, people like Justin receive the help and hope they need — and a fresh start!